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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chest — a box
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com